Digestive disorders may include diseases and/or disorders of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, or intestines. Some common gastric disorders and/or diseases include gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), eosinophilic esophagitis, acid reflux, peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and infection by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Symptoms may include burning pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery, loss of appetite, loss of weight, indigestion, and flatulent dyspepsia.
Gastric disorders may be caused by medications, diet, lifestyle factors (such as smoking), obesity, pregnancy, or genetic background.
Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a serious autoimmune disease, in which the bodies defense system attacks itself (also known as Sharp syndrome). Clinically, MCTD combines features of systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic scleroderma, and is thus considered an overlap syndrome. MCTD commonly causes: joint pain and/or swelling, swelling fingers, malaise, Raynaud Phenomenon (fingers become pale and numb in response to cold or emotional stress), muscle inflammation and/or weakness, scarring of the skin of the hand, acid reflux, dysfunction of the esophagus, swallowing difficulties, shortness of breath on activity, dry cough. Symptoms of MCTD vary widely and each person's illness can be quite different.
Therapeutic treatments for gastric disorders include a wide array of pharmaceutical drugs and antacids. However, most of the gastric treatments available today have considerable side effects, such as headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, gas, sore throat, runny nose, and dizziness. Thus, there is a need for better gastric therapeutics and treatment methods. There is a pronounced need in the art for treatment of the symptoms of Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), such as acid reflux, dysfunction of the esophagus, swallowing difficulties, etc.